Will AI replace quarry rock splitters?

Not on current evidence. Less than 30 minutes of a typical shift goes to tasks that AI or robots are doing today. The other 8h (100%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 5.8% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

Not in workplaces like this one, based on a 2026 review of robot deployments. 7 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 2 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

8h of a typical shift, or 100%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Remove pieces of stone from larger masses, using jackhammers, wedges, and other tools. (1h 47m a shift)
• Drill holes along outlines, using jackhammers. (1h 47m a shift)
• Insert wedges and feathers into holes, and drive wedges with sledgehammers to split stone sections from masses. (1h 33m a shift)
• Locate grain line patterns to determine how rocks will split when cut. (40m a shift)
• Mark dimensions or outlines on stone prior to cutting, using rules and chalk lines. (40m a shift)

Part of the answer is the setting, not just the tasks. Work that is in person, hands on or high stakes is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 94% spend more than half the day on their feet
• 92% work outdoors in all weather every day
• 72% work in very hot or cold conditions at least weekly

On Indeed, job postings in the Construction sector are at 129% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 6.4% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 400 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $48,740 a year ($23.44 an hour), 4% below the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $37,340 and $67,710 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 5.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 3,700 jobs in 2035. It expects about 400 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 3,320 people in the U.S., roughly 0.00% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 753rd largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 3,700 in 2035.

The most common requirement is less than a high school diploma: about 50% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 1 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: little or no preparation. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Active Listening
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 8h of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Autodesk AutoCAD, Facebook, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint

These use similar skills. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Foundry Mold and Coremakers (0m touched, $48k median pay)
• Fallers (6m touched, $52k median pay)
• Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials (40m touched, $35k median pay)
• Helpers for Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons (26m touched, $40k median pay)
• Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood (0m touched, $43k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 9 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.